Monty Python and an Improv Puppet Show

Sometimes things don't work out as you plan.  Sometimes you do everything right:  You set up the event, you  market yourself well, you sell the tickets, you collect all of the tools you need, you get everyone together, and  the smallest piece of equipment lets you down and ruins your night.  Once the night is ruined, you do your best to apologize and do damage control, dealing with people who can't see past their own inconvenience and "will never do business with you again."

After three days in Tallahassee (a town that I happen to like a lot), we were ready for the coolest event that I have seen in my days of being a beer rep.  The guys and gals at Fermentation Lounge had set up not only a promotion for the Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, but took it 100 steps further.

On a property a few addresses down from Fermentation Lounge rests an old Coca Cola building with a field behind it that the folks at F.L. have turned into an area that they refer to as The Hop Yard.  In The Hop Yard they have installed keg coolers, lighting, and seating with the option of stretching a screen to show video.

On this particular day, they had arranged a very special treat with tickets going on sale prior to the event.  Below is the advert for the event from the Fermentation Lounge blog:

 http://thefermentationlounge.com/blog/

Everything is officially set for Holy Grail night.  Here are the details:

• It is Thursday, July 19, at 8:00 at the All Saints Hop Yard.
• Tickets are $25 and will go on sale as soon as we get them printed.  We will make an announcement the moment tickets get in.  There is no pre-ticket list to get on.
• You get a dinner of Killer Rabbit (actually chicken, potatoes, and corn).  You can specify a vegetarian alternative.
• You get one of those super cool Holy Grail chalices that you may have seen in the Lounge recently.
• You get to fill that chalice up twice with Holy Grail Ale.
• At 9:00 the screening of Holy Grail commences.

As you can plainly see (and please read their blog), they take their entertainment seriously.  They recently did a Casablanca Night that I'd have loved to have gone to.

So, after all was set up and the tickets were sold and the beer was flowing and the crowd was primed - 5 minutes into the movie, the projector breaks.  Without warning, without an apology, it just goes.  

Now, as a veteran in the bar and restaurant business, I could only glimpse the people in the crowd, moaning, groaning, yelling, wanting their money back, etc.  Not this crowd.  After cracking a few jokes, these kind folks just kept drinking, being merry, and enjoying their time.  Luckily, we still had audio so we could still hear the film and play out the scenes in our heads.

Then the funniest thing occurred.  

On the screen appeared some shadow figures.  We laughed a tad as a figure of a knight appeared, then another, then a castle, then a rabbit, and suddenly I realized that someone had figured out how to put on the whole movie as a shadow puppet show on the screen.  While two people were showing puppets in front of the projector light, two others were cutting out figures and preparing for subsequent scenes.  In a totally impromptu move, they made a delicious lemonade out of lemons and were now giving us a better and more unique show than we would have gotten if all had gone as planned.  They played out the entire rest of the movie this way and everyone who was at the event thoroughly enjoyed their efforts.  They even got a standing ovation when it was over.  

What's best - these folks didn't even know each other before the event.    

When I think of the things that got me into the hospitality business, it is perfect situations like this that come to mind.  There are so many things that could have gone in the wrong direction.  Despite the failings of technology, it was the humans that took us to Serendip.  We could have had to re-schedule, offer refunds, etc., but instead experienced something great.  This is a testimony not only to the folks who patronize Fermentation Lounge, but also to the people who attract such folks.  I am once again feeling fortunate to be where I am and lucky to know the people I know.  Cheers!